Plant where heat-consuming apparatus cooperates with a number of feed conduits



Jan. 5 1926. 1,568,420

J. RUTHS ET AL PLANT WHERE HEAT GONSUMING APPARATUS COOPERATES WITH ANUMBER OF FEED CONDUITS Filed Dec. '7, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 51926. 1,568,420

J. RUTHS ET AL PLANT WHERE HEAT CONSUMING APPARATUS COOPERATES WITH ANUMBER OF FEED CONDUITS Filed Dec. '7, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedJan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J'OHANNESBUTHS, OF DJ'UBSHOLM, SWEDEN, KARL INGERO, OF CHBIBTIANIA, NOE-WAY, AND HANS SCHBENK, OF CHABLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASBIGNOBS TO AK-TIEIBOLAGET VAPORA GKUMULATOB, OF STOCKHOLH, SWEDEN, A CORPORATION OFSWEDEN.

PLANT WHERE HEAT-CONSUMING APPARATUS COOPERA'IES WITH A NUMBER OF FEEDCONDUITS.

Application filed December 7, 1922. Serial No. 605,581.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JOHANNES RUTHs, KARnINcEao, and HANS ScHnENK,subjects of Sweden, Norway, and Germany, respec- 5 tively, residing atDjursholm, Sweden,

Tordenskjoldsplads 3, Christiania, Norway, and Fritschestrasse 69,Charlottenburg, Germany, respectively, have invented certain new'anduseful Improvements in Plants here Heat-Consuming Apparatus Cooperatewith a Number of Feed Conduits, of which the following'is aspecification.

In a number of plants where heat consuming apparatus is used it is oftendesired to feed such apparatus from different feed conduits havingdifferent conditions prevailing therein, for instance differentpressures or temperatures, the apparatus being fed first from one ofthese conduits, as long as this is allowed by the conditions, feedingfrom the other conduit being resorted to only afterwards.

For example, it occurs in steam plants that digesters, drying machinesor the like are to be provided with steam from two conduits havingvdifferent steam pressures prevailing therein, the supply of steam takingplace, for instance, first from the conduit with the lower pressure andbeing utilized to start the digester, a change to feeding from the otherconduit with the higher pressure being efl'ected as soon as the risingpressure of the digester has attained a value equal to that of thepressure in the first-mentioned feed conduit.

Conditions like these prevail most frequently in plants provided withheat accumulators. In such plants it may frequently occur that thecondition in one'of said feed conduits also varies according to thecondition of charge-of the accumulator. In such plants, endeavors areprimarily directed to a utilization of the heat accumulated in theaccumulator. When such heat is no longer sufficient, feeding fromanother steam conduit of higher pressure, for instance from the steamboiler conduit, is resorted to.

The consumers may be of a type wherein the condition (pressure. ortemperature) is apt to vary, such as digesters, as mentioned above, or,a certain constant condition may be required for the operation of theconsumers, as in drying machines or the like.

If the changes from the one to the other feed conduit are effectedmanually, they are frequently not carried out at the propermoments,which may result in the following inconveniences.

Assume that a digester is started with steam from a conduit of lowpressure. When the pressure in the digester has attained the value ofthe pressure prevailing in the low pressure conduit, the shift to aconduit of higher pressure is perhaps neglected and the digester isallowed to stand for some time under a constant or even a sinkingpressure, as may occur if other consumers are fed from the same conduitat the same time, in which case the sinking pressure may have a mostruinous effect on the contents of the digester.

In other instances the change is effected too soon so that steam from aconduit of lower pressure is not adequately utilized.

These changes are particularly diflicult to attend to if a plurality ofconsumers, cooperating for instance with one another at differentpressures or temperatures, are connected between the various feedconduits. If there are heat accumulators mounted in the plant, it isdesirable, for their adequate utilization, that they are able to giveoff, entirely automatically, accumulated heat to places where conditionswill permit this.

The present invention has for its object to facilitate, as far aspossible, feeding of the consumer from the one of the feed conduits, andto effect an altogether automatic change to the other feed conduit,where this may be required, and the invention comprises mechanism sodevised that it will then automatically cut off the connection from theconsumer to the former feed conduit.

The invention will be described more fully hereinbelow, reference beinghad to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings which represent twoembodiments of the invention.

In Fig. 1, the invention is shown as applied to a steam plant in which adigester a (sulphiteor sulphate digester) is connected are provided 0havin different pressures prevailing therein, tor instance about 120pounds per square inch in b and about pounds in a.

The digester a is arranged for steaming processes and for indirect aswell as for direct boiling. For these operations, the digester issupplied with steam through the various cut-oil valves (1, e, f. Theindirect boiling is effected by admitting steam through the coiled pipe9 provided in the digester. From the feed conduit 6, steam may besupplied to the digester through the conduit it and from the feedconduit 0 through the conduit 2' which is in this case connected to theconduit h. Besides, there are preferably arranged two cut-0d valves isand Z in the conduits h and 2', in the manner indicated in Fig. 1.Moreover, there is inserted in the conduit 2', a member ac, in this casea non-return valve, which disconnects the communication between thedigester and the feed conduit 0 as soon as the pressure in the conduit his greater than in the conduit 21 behind such member. Under certaincircumstances it may also be advantageous to provide a similar member inthe conduit it, which is indicated in Fig. l by dotted lines. Moreover,there is provided a valve member m in the conduit h, the said valvemember being in the present case responsive to and actuated by thepressure of the digester and both the pressure in the conduit 0 in sucha manner that, when these pressures are the same, valve m will open andadmit steam from the conduit h to the digester. Through the conduits nand o,

a the pressures in the digester, and the con- (ill duit 0 respectivelyare caused to act on either side of a piston 'y. Ti these pressures arethe same, the valve fm will be opened through the influence of theweight 7). Ti the pressure in c is higher than in the digester, valve mis kept closed, but opened should the pressure in the digester be equalto or greater than in 0. Thus, valve m is either entirely opened orfully closed; It may also occur, however, that the valve m regulatesalso between these two positions.

Tnstead of as indicated above, thepressures in the digester and theconduit 0 may actuate the valve m indirectly, for instance through theintermediary of a pressure liquid which, according to the variations inpressure, is caused to act on the auxiliary motor which, in turn,adjusts the valve m.

The plant operates in the following manner:

- Assume that the cut-0d valves 74 and Z stand open. Now, if, forinstance, boiling is to take place in direct manner, the valve f isopened so that steam is supplied to the digester from 0 through theconduit 2', the cut-off valve Z, the non-return valve m, the conduit hand the cut-oil valve 7. The pisincense between two steam conduits h andton y is then lrept in the position shown in the drawing, on account ofthe pressure in 0 being greater than in the digester, while the valve mis closed.

Now it may occur that the pressure in the conduit 0 is constantly of acertain value,.

in which case valve m opens in the manner above described on thepressure of? the digester having attained this value, steam being thensupplied to the digester a from the conduit 6, and the digester may bestarted up further and the material under treatment finished with steamfrom the said conduit 5. The valve member a: (in this case a non-returnvalve) will then prevent steam from the conduit 1) from flowing throughthe conduit 73 out into the conduit a.

It may also occur, however, that the pressure in the feed conduit 0varies.

This is for instance the case it this conduit is connected directly toan accumulator since the pressure then varies according'to the conditionof charge in the accumulator. Tt is readily to be seen that in thesecases, too, the

plant operates in the manner above described. The mode of operation isthe same if the digester is supplied with steam through the valves (Zand e for steaming purposes or for indirect boiling. lit a plurality ofconsumers are connected to the feed conduit 0, each of such consumersbeing provided with the same or similar arrangements, it will beunderstood that feeding from the feed conduit 0 will always take placeto that consumer or those consumers vgllierein the pressure conditionswill allow t 's.

Thus, it an accumulator is-connected to this conduit, the latter willalways discharge into the consumers in which the pressure is lower thanthat prevailing in the accumulator.

Fig. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. In this plantthere are inserted consumers H, T and a, between the feed conduits b andc, to which latter is connected an accumulator A by means of twonon-return valves B. In this case the feed conduit 1) extends firom theboilers C. If desired, consumers D consisting, for instance, of steamengines, high pressure digesters or the like may also be supplied withsteam from this conduit. lnserted between the conduits h and c is anOVQl lZlOW valve E, that is to say a valve which, on a rise of thepressure before the same, admits more steam to the conduit 0; it thissteam quantity cannot, for the moment, be consumed in; consumersconnected to the conduit, the same is conducted to the accumulator whichis then charged. If the pressure in conduit 1) would fall for somereason or other, the valve E decreases, or entirely cuts off the amountof steam trans- Mill That the over-flow valve E is chines for drivinmitted through the same to the conduit 0. actuated by the pressurebefore the same, is indicated in the figure by a line connecting theconduit before the valve with the actuating mechanism for the valve.valve in combination with the accumulator forms the subject-matter Theoverflow plication of Johannes Karl Ruths, Serial No. 305,622 filed June20, 1919.

In the lant, there are also provided two conduits T and G from wh ch twoconsumers -H and .I are supplied with steam, said consumers consisting,for example, in drying machines. Assume that constant pressures of 2kg./sq. cm. and 1 kg./sq. cm. respectively are required before thesemasame. Assume further that a pressure .0 for instance, 10 kg./sq.

.cm. prevails in the feed conduit-b and that the pressure in theaccumulator varies 'between 4 and L cm. according to the charge thereof.Connected to the conduit -0 is also a conduitK through which steam isconducted to a .digester a, which is connected between the conduits band c in the manner described with reference to Fig. 1, the saiddigester ;operating for instance between 0 and "8 kg./sq. cm. Thereference characters of this digester with its conduits correspond tothecharacters used in Fig. 1. In the conduits F and G there are insertedreducing valves I and Q, and between these valves and the consumers Hand I are members :1: consisting in non-return valves in this case. Thelines connecting the valves with the conduits indicate that therespective valves are responsive to and actuated by the pressure in theportion of the conduitto which this line is connected. The valves N andQ are also reducing valves cooperating with valves P and Q in such amanner that the valves N and O commence to open only when the reducingvalves P and Q respectively are fully opened. These valves P and Qcontrol the amount of steam supplied from the accumulator to theconsumers. A v

The operation is as follows:

Assume that for the moment there is a ressure of 2.5 kg./sq. cm. intheaccumuator. Under this con'dition the consumers H and-I operating withconstant pressure receive steam from the accumulator through thereducing valvesP and Q which regulate the steam quantities supplied so tat the definite pressures 1 and 2 kg./sq. cm. before the respectiveconsumers are maintained. The non-return valves :v are then both open,whereas the reducin valves N and O are both closed. 'Now, i

the pressure of the accumulator falls down to 2 valve Q kg./sq. cm. byreason of the discharge, the becomes fully open; if the pressure fallsfurther, thereducing valve 0 opens of a separate ap-.

and supplies steam 'to the consumer I from the feed conduit 1). Thenon-return valve x which is now closed by the steam pres sure preventssteam from flowing from the conduit 6 out into the conduit 0 through theopen valve Q.

f the pressure of the accumulator falls further on account of a furtherdischarge, for instance below 1 kg./sq. cm. the valve N v opens andadmits steam to the consumer H,

the non-return valve m arranged in conduit F then preventing the steamsupplied through the valve N from flowing out into the conduit 0.

The operation of the arrangement with respect to the consumer (orconsumers) a provided in theplant should be easily understood from thedescription with reference to Fig. 1. In addition to the consumersmentioned herein, it is evident that other such consumers may receivetheir steam from vthe accumulator, such consumers consisting forinstance of radiators R for heating purposes, steam engines and soforth. Obviously, conduit 1) extends directly from the boilers. Betweenthis conduit and the boilers there may for instance be arranged othersteam consumers such as steam engines or the like.

It will be understood from the above that the steam accumulated in theaccumulator will be utilized in a'most rational manner, by means of theinvention set forth, in that a discharge may take place entirelyautomatically to the consumers where the pressure conditions will allowthis.

Similar conditions are to be found in such industries, for example thetextile industry, where hot water storers are often preferably arran edin place of steam storers, and where the heat is supplied to theconsumers in" the form of hot water. Instead of pressure controls,temperature regulators may be used.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States 1s:-

1. In combination, a digester, a high pressure conduit adapted to supplysteam to said digester, a low pressure conduit adapted to supply steamto said digester, and automatic means to control the fiowof steam fromgester responsive to conditions in the di gester and conditions in thelow pressure conduit.

2. In combination, a digester, a high pressure conduit adapted to supplysteam to said digester, a low pressure conduit adapted to supply steamto said digester, and automatic means to control the flow of steam fromsaid high pressure conduit to said diester responsive to the pressure insaid igester and responsive to the pressure in the low pressure conduit.

it is not necessary that the feed said high pressure conduit to said di-3. In combination, a digester, a high pressure conduit adapted to supplysteam to said digester, a low pressure conduit adapted to supplysteam'to said digester, and

automatic means to control the flow, of

- sure conduit to the digester.

a. In combination, a digester, a high pressure conduit adapted to supplysteam'to said digester, a low pressure conduit adapted to supply steamto said digester, and automatic means to cut ofi the supply of steamfrom the low] pressure conduit and admit steam to the digesterfrom thehigh pressure conduit when the pressure in the digester exfieeds thepressure in the low pressure conuit. 5. In combination, a digester, ahigh pressure conduit, a low pressure conduit, a third conduitconnectingsaid high pressure conduit with said digester, a fourth conduitconnecting said low pressure conduit with said digester, a valve in saidthird conduit, means operating to open said valve when the pressure inthe digester exceeds the pressure in the low pressure conduit, and meansin said fourth conduit to prevent flow of steam from the digester to thelow pressure vconduit when the pressure in the digester axcgeds thepressure in the low pressure con- 6. In combination, a digester, a highpressure conduit, a low pressure conduit, a third conduit connectingsaid high pressure conduit with said digester, a fourth conduitconnecting said low pressuresconduit with said digester, a valve in saidthird conduit, means operatin to open said valve when the pressure in te digester exceeds the pressure in the low pressure conduit, and anonreturn valve in said fourth conduit.

7. In combination, a digester,a high pressure conduit,a low pressureconduit, a third conduit connecting said high pressure conduit with saiddigester, a fourth conduit connecting said low pressure conduit withsaid digester, a valve in said third conduit,

means responsive to the pressure in the di-' gester and the pressure in'the low pressure conduit operatingtoopen said valve when thepressure inthe digesterexceeds the pressure, in the low pressure conduit, and meansin said :iourthconduit to prevent 'tlow oi steam from the-digester' tothe low pressure conduit when the pressure in the digester exceeds. thepressure in the low pressure conduit.

8. In combination, a digester, a high pressure conduit, a low pressureconduit, a third conduit connecting said high pressure conduit with saiddigester, a fourth conduit neeenae connecting saidlow pressure conduitwith said digester, a valve in said third conduit, a piston operativelyconnected with said valve, means to operate said iston responsive to thepressure in the igh pressure conduit and responsive to the pressureinthe low pressure conduit, and means in .said fourth conduit to preventflow of steam from the digester to the low pressure conduit when thepressurein thedigester exceeds the pressure in the low pressure conduit.

9. In combination, a steam consumer, a high pressure conduit adapted tosupply steam to said steam consumer, a low pressure conduit adapted tosupply steam to said steam consumer, and automatic means to cut 0d thesupply of steam from the low pressure conduit and admit steam to thesteam consumer from the high pressure conduit when the pressure in thesteam consumer exceeds the pressure in the low pressure conduit.

10. In comhination, a steam consumer, a high pressure conduit, a lowpressure conduit, a third conduit connecting said high i pressureconduit with said steam consumer,

a fourth conduit connecting said low pressure conduit with said steamconsumer, a valve in said third conduit, means operating to open saidvalve when. the pressure in, the consumer exceedsthe pressure in the lowpressure conduit, and means in said fourth conduit to prevent flow ofsteam from the steam consumer to the low' pressure conduit when thepressure in the steam consumer 10o exceeds the pressure in the lowpressure conduit. I

11'. In combination, a consumer, a-conduit carrying a medium of highthermal condition adapted to supply said medium to 1'05 said consumer,aconduit carryinga medium of low thermal condition adapted to supplysaid medium to said consumer, automatic I means tov cut ed the flow ofmedium from the second mentioned conduit to the man no .tooperate saidvalve responsive to the relative thermal conditions prevailing in said395 consumer and in said second conduit, and a non-return valve in saidfourth conduit.

13. In a steam plant, a high pressure conduit, a low pressure conduit,as consumer adapted to operate at a predetermined pres- 11% sumer fromsaid high pressure conduit when the connection between said low conduitand said consumer is cut 0 14. In a steam plant, a consumer, a; highpressure conduit, a low pressure conduit, a third conduit connectingsaid high pressure conduit with said consumer, a fourth conduitconnecting said low pressure conduit with said consumer, a reducingvalve in said fourth conduit, a non-return valve in said fourth conduit,a reducing valve in said third conduit, the reducing valves beingresponsive to the pressure of the consumer and so set that the reducingvalve in the third conduit opens when the p ressure actuating thereducing valves has fallen below the value at which the reducing valvein the fourth conduit is fully open. I

15. In a steam plant, driers, a high pressure conduit, a low pressureconduit, anaccumulator connected to the low pressure conduit, means tolead steam' from said conduits to said driers, and automatic meanstures.

to control the flow of steam from the respective conduits to the driersin proportion to the relative pressure in the accumulator and thepressure at which the driers operate.

16. In a steam plant, a high pressure conduit, a low pressure conduit,driers, a third conduit connecting said high pressure conduit with saiddryers, a fourth conduit conmeeting said low pressure conduit with saiddriers, a valve in said third conduit, a valve in said fourth conduit,means to operate said valves responsive to the pressure in conduitsimmediately connected with the driers, said means 0 eratin the thiconduit closed and to actuate the valve in the fourth conduit tothrottle the steam flowing therethrough when the pressure in the lowpressure conduit is above a predetermined value and to open the valve inthe third, conduit and throttle the steam flow therethrough when thepressure in the low pressure conduit falls below said predeterminedvalue and means to prevent steam from flowing through the valve in thefourth conduit toward the low pressure line when the valve in thethirdconduit is open.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa- JOHANNES RUTHS.

KARL INGERO. HANS SCHRENK.

to maintain the valve in

